Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

The Legislature and Whitmer are at war over the emergency powers act Whitmer is using as a basis for her orders and a continued state of emergency without the support of the Legislature.

Attorney General Dana Nessel has supported the legality of the orders and in a news release expressed support for the association’s move Thursday.

The association, or PAAM, said the executive orders are in force without a court ruling otherwise.

In most cases, education has been used to keep communities safe, PAAM said. In some cases, prosecutors have used their discretion to issue criminal charges.

“This has not been our preferred method on how to handle these alleged violations,” PAAM leaders said in the statement. “We will continue to request that violations of the Executive Orders be investigated by the police and prosecutors will review those on a case‐by‐case basis to determine if criminal charges are appropriate.”

Criminal penalties are not the only or primary ways to enforce orders, PAAM said. License sanctions or revocations are also possible. Additionally, the Attorney General’s Office and Michigan State Police can enforce criminal penalties.

“This is a bipartisan group of legal experts who have spoken out simply because it’s the right thing to do,” said Nessel. “To those law enforcement agencies that have questioned their ability to enforce the Governor’s Order in light of the current legal dispute, both the Department of Attorney General and the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan have independently confirmed that the Governor’s orders are valid and enforceable until and unless a court says otherwise.”

Previously asked by the Detroit Free Press what if any action could be taken against agencies that won’t enforce the orders, Ryan Jarvi, press secretary to Nessel, said his office doesn’t supervise sheriffs.

“If a sheriff isn’t doing his or her job, we would expect voters to express their displeasure at the ballot box,” he said.

Contact Darcie Moran at dmoran@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @darciegmoran.